Billboard opponents won a surprising victory Wednesday against a well-financed effort to allow clear-cutting in front of highway advertisements.

The House defeated Senate Bill 164 in a bipartisan vote of 74 to 89.

But the bill did not die. House members immediately voted 85-79 to reconsider, and the House is expected to vote again on the bill Friday, the last day of the legislative session.

The bill would allow billboard owners to remove up to 1.5 acres of trees in the public right of way in front of double-sided signs. In exchange, billboard owners would have to plant wildflowers or small trees in the cleared area.

Scenic Georgia and the Garden Club of Georgia opposed the bill, and encouraged members to call, fax and e-mail their legislators to express their opposition.